"Assessment of Critical Care Nurses’ Knowledge and Practice Regarding Electrolyte Imbalances Management"

Background: Electrolyte imbalance occurs when the level of one or more electrolytes in the body is too low or too high, often resulting from changes in the body's water content. Critical care nurses play a vital role in early detection, monitoring, and management of electrolyte imbalances in intensive care patients. Assessing nurses' knowledge and practice in electrolyte management is essential for identifying competency gaps and ensure safe, effective patient care in critical care environments. Aim of the study: This study aimed to assess critical care nurses' knowledge and practice regarding electrolyte imbalances management in intensive care settings. Design: A Descriptive cross-sectional research design was utilized in this study. Sample: convenience samples of 40 nurses were selected from the intensive care units. Setting: The study was conducted at intensive care units in The Memorial Souad Kafafi University Hospital. Tools: One tool was used for data collection: Tool I: Nurses' Self-Administered Questionnaire Assessment Regarding Electrolyte Imbalances Management, consisting of three parts: part I: nurses’ demographic characteristics, part II: nursing assessment knowledge questionnaire and part III: nursing observation checklist. Results: The study demonstrated that about two thirds of nurses studied had unsatisfactory levels of knowledge Also, more than two thirds of the nurses studied demonstrated incompetent level of practice. Conclusion: The study concluded that there are significant deficiencies in critical care nurses' knowledge and practice regarding electrolyte imbalance management. Recommendations: Develop and implement comprehensive educational programs to enhance critical care nurses' knowledge and practice regarding electrolyte imbalances assessment, monitoring, and management.